SOA-C02 Networking and Content Delivery Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are valid options for connecting a VPC to an on-premises network? (Select THREE.)
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse VPC peering (which only connects VPCs) with hybrid connectivity options, or mistakenly think VPC endpoints can extend to on-premises networks, when they are strictly for accessing AWS services privately within a VPC.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Transit gateway with VPN attachment
A Transit Gateway with a VPN attachment allows you to connect your VPC to an on-premises network by acting as a central hub that interconnects VPCs and on-premises networks via IPsec VPN tunnels. This is a valid option because the Transit Gateway can terminate multiple VPN connections, enabling hybrid connectivity with centralized routing and scalability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Transit gateway with VPN attachment
Why this is correct
An AWS Transit Gateway acts as a network transit hub, and adding a Site-to-Site VPN attachment lets an on-premises network connect to the gateway over an IPsec tunnel using the public internet. This is a valid hybrid connectivity option because the transit gateway can route traffic between many VPCs and the VPN attachment, simplifying the network while still supporting site-to-site VPN connectivity.
- ✓
AWS Direct Connect
Why this is correct
AWS Direct Connect establishes a dedicated, private physical link between your on-premises data center and AWS, bypassing the public internet entirely. It uses 802.1Q VLAN tagging to provision multiple virtual interfaces over a single connection, producing lower latency and more consistent bandwidth than internet-based VPNs, and it can be paired with a Site-to-Site VPN to add encryption.
- ✗
VPC peering
Why it's wrong here
VPC peering is a point-to-point connection between exactly two VPCs, allowing private IP traffic only between those VPCs. It does not support edge-to-edge routing, meaning a peered VPC cannot extend connectivity to an on-premises network through a VPN or Direct Connect, nor can it act as a transit for other VPCs, so it is irrelevant for hybrid connectivity.
- ✓
AWS Site-to-Site VPN
Why this is correct
AWS Site-to-Site VPN creates two encrypted IPsec tunnels between your on-premises customer gateway device and an AWS virtual private gateway or transit gateway, traffic flowing over the public internet. It is a fully supported, hardware-free hybrid connection that provides encrypted, secure communication to either a single VPC or multiple VPCs when attached to a transit gateway.
- ✗
VPC endpoint
Why it's wrong here
A VPC endpoint enables private connectivity from within a VPC to supported AWS services (like S3 or DynamoDB) without traversing the internet or a NAT device, using either interface endpoints with ENIs or gateway endpoints. This focuses solely on reaching AWS-managed services from inside AWS, so it neither provides nor supports any path to an on-premises network and cannot be used as a hybrid connectivity option.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SOA-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SOA-C02 exam.